Landing pad

ABSTRACT

A landing pad for use in athletic activities, such as the highjump, polevault, and similar events. The pad has an impervious outer cover and a plurality of separate foamed plastic blocks within the cover, the blocks being shaped and arranged to distend the cover fully while providing air spaces within the cover. Individual wrappings are provided for the blocks to minimize interference to movement between the blocks and to protect them from moisture.

United States Patent Montour et a1. N 1 July 1, 1975 [5 1 LANDING PAD 3,572,705 3/1971 Wyble 273 25 12 1 7 2 [76] Inventors: James L. Montour, 5520 Percheron 1628:]90 9 1 Gordon 72/60 R St., Richmond, Van, Wilfred N. FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Mflmwr 610 Dartmoor 1,810,572 1968 Germany 5/352 Arbor, Mich. 48103 [22] Filed: Sept. 7, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 395,237

[52] U.S. Cl 272/59 C; 5/345 R; 5/352; 273/DIG. 5; 273/D1G. 8 [51] Int. Cl A63b 5/18 [58] Field of Search 272/59 C, 60 R; 5/341, 5/345 R, 352, 357, 359; 273/25, DIG. 4, DIG. 5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,369,808 2/1968 Sconce 272/59 C 3,508,747 4/1970 Orsatti 273/25 3,5l3,49l 5/1970 Gordon 272/59 C Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examinerloseph R. Taylor Attorney, Agent, or FirmOlsen and Stephenson [57] ABSTRACT A landing pad for use in athletic activities, such as the high-jump, polevault, and similar events. The pad has an impervious outer cover and a plurality of separate foamed plastic blocks within the cover, the blocks being shaped and arranged to distend the cover fully while providing air spaces within the cover. Individual wrappings are provided for the blocks to minimize interference to movement between the blocks and to protect them from moisture.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures LANDING PAD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in safety landing pads for use in athletic field events, such as the high-jump, the pole vault, and the like.

In recent years substantial progress has been made in the area of track and field events toward sophisitication of training techniques and the creation of optimum safety for the athletes. The jumping pads or pits as they are sometimes called, although greatly improved. have many limitations which render them inadequate for general use in high schools and colleges.

It is known to use landing pads in which covers are placed over foamed plastic or rubber which are bonded together or loosely packed within the cover. Moisture frequently finds its way into these pads, creating serious problems. and where the foamed blocks are bonded to gcther, the bonds frequently are broken due to movementor exposure to dampness so that among other undersirable results, non-uniformity in the cushioning characteristics of the pads result. Uniform and adequate recoil capabilities and safe deceleration for the jumper or vaulter are then not always obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has overcome the limitations and inadequacies of the prior art and provides a landing pad which is characterized by its waterproofed construction. its uniform and optimum cushioning proper' ties and its capability of repeatable cushioliing performance over extended periods of time.

According to one form of the present invention a landing pad is provided comprising a flexible cover defining when fully extended an enclosure having top, bottom and side walls. and a plurality of separate blocks of resilient foamed material positioned within the enclosure to fully distend the cover. The blocks include a top block dimensioned so that it extends under the full surface of the top wall of the cover, and a plurality of support blocks in spaced apart relation upon which the top block is supported. A plurality of spacer blocks of smaller dimensions are located between the support blocks for maintaining the latter in spaced apart relation, and when so arranged, the blocks define between them air spaces within the cover. The blocks are enclosed in thin wrapping material having a relatively low coefficient of friction to facilitate recoil of the blocks so that after a load has been imposed they can readily revert to their original positions. The cover is made of a generally waterproof material and the seams for securing the cover together are located so that moisture cannot readily penetrate the cover even though the pad is used for outdoor events and may be exposed to adverse weather conditions.

Thus. it is an ojbect of the present invention to provide an improved landing pad for use in athletic events.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective view ofa landing pad embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. I, but showing the cover removed so that the internal construction of the landing pad can be seen;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, exploded, fragmentary section, taken on the line 33, illustrating a scam in the cover;

FIG. 4 is a similar exploded, fragmentary section taken on the line 44 of FIG. I; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention will be described in greater detail. As shown in FIG. I, the landing pad 10 comprises the flexible cover 12 defining when fully distended a top wall 14, a bottom wall (not shown) and a plurality of side walls, only side walls 16 and 18 of which can be seen.

Located within the cover 12 are a plurality of separate blocks 20 formed of resilient foamed material and positioned within the cover 12 so as to fully distend the same. The blocks 20 include a top block 22 which is dimensioned so that it extends under the full surface of the top wall 14, a plurality of support blocks 24 which are maintained in spaced apart relation and upon which the top block 22 is supported. The support blocks 24 are maintained in the spaced apart relation by a plurality of spacer blocks 26 and when so arranged the blocks 22, 24 and 26 define between them a plurality of air spaces identified generally by the reference numbers 28. To protect against moisture and to minimize frictional resistance to relative movement between the blocks 22, 24 and 26, it is preferred that a thin wrapping material 30 be placed around the blocks. In a preferred form of the invention the permanent wrapping 30 is made ofa thin sheet of polyethylene material having a thickness of approximately 4 mils. The blocks are preferably made from a polyurethane foamed material and the density of the foamed material for the block 22 is relatively lighter than that of the foamed material for the blocks 24 and 26. By virtue of these physical properties of the blocks and the wrapping, a generally floating block construction is provided within the cover 12 wherein a solid layer of relatively soft foamed material is supported by a series of support blocks of slightly more firm foamed material. The support blocks 24 are held in spaced relation by the smaller blocks 26 which thus also provide air spaces 28. The air spaces serve to provide soft and safe deceleration of the bodies landing on the pad 10 and the floating block construction increases the recoil and repeat performance capabilities of the pad.

The unique arrangement of the seams of the cover 12 also preclude entry of moisture into the interior thereof. The cover is preferably formed from a nylon fabric coated with a polyvinyl chloride material and it is cut and sewn together so that a double sewn edge 29 such as is illustrated in FIG. 3 extends vertically at each of the four vertical corners of the cover 12 and the cover has been cut so there are no seams at the edges 32 between the top wall 14 and the side walls and at the edges 34 between the bottom wall, not shown, and the side walls. The material has been cut so the horizontal seams are present only midway between the top and bottom walls, as at the seam which is shown in crosssection in FIG. 4. Three of the side walls have seams corresponding to scam 36, and the fourth side wall l8, has a conventional zipper 40 for use when inserting and removing the blocks 22, 24 and 26. For shipment and storage purposes, the zipper 40 can be opened and the blocks 22, 24 and 26 can be removed therefrom. For use, the blocks can easily be inserted into the cover [2, and when inserted, they will fully distend the cover as shown in FlGv l. The blocks 22, 24 and 26, being custom fitted to the cover, will continuously hold the cover in its fully distended shape with no cementing or other action on the part of the installer being required. In the event of severe damage or the need for replacement, the blocks 22, 24 and 26 can easily be removed and the cover returned for repair at considerably less expense and with much greater convenience than was possible with prior art devices.

It is claimed that:

l. A landing pad for athletic events comprising a flex ible cover defining when fully distended a moisture impervious enclosure having top, bottom and side walls. and a plurality of separate blocks of resilient foamed material positioned within said enclosure to fully distend the cover, said blocks including a top block dimensioned so that it extends under the full surface of the top wall, a plurality of support blocks positioned in parallel spaced apart relation on said bottom wall and upon which said top block is supported, and a plurality of spacer blocks positioned on said bottom wall between said support blocks for maintaining said spaced apart relation, each spacer block extending between a pair of adjacent parallel support blocks and having less elevation than the adjacent parallel support blocks so that said plurality of separate blocks define between them a plurality of parallel air spaces within said cover.

2. The landing pad that is defined in claim 1, wherein said resilient foamed material is polyurethane material.

3. The landing pad that is defined in claim 2, wherein the polyurethane top block has a relatively lighter density than the polyurethane support blocks.

4. The landing pad that is defined in claim 1, wherein said cover is free from seams in its top and bottom walls and at the corners defined between either the top wall or the bottom wall and the side walls.

5. The landing pad that is defined in claim 4, wherein said flexible cover is a nylon fabric coated with polyvinyl chloride material.

6. The landing pad that is defined in claim 4, wherein one side wall has means for opening and closing said cover for inserting and removing said blocks.

7. A landing pad for athletic events comprising a flexible cover defining when fully distended a moisture impervious enclosure having top, bottom and side walls. and a plurality of separate blocks of resilient foamed material positioned within said enclosure to fully distend the cover, said blocks including a top block dimensioned so that it extends under the full surface of the top wall, a plurality of support blocks positioned in spaced apart relation on said bottom wall and upon which said top block is supported, and a plurality of spacer blocks positioned on said bottom wall between said support blocks for maintaining said spaced apart relation, said blocks defining between them air spaces within said cover, each of said blocks being individually enclosed in a thin impervious wrapping material having a relatively low coefficient of friction to facilitate recoil of the blocks so that after a load has been imposed they can readily recover their original position.

8. A landing pad for athletic events comprising a flexible cover defining when fully distended an enclosure having top, bottom and side walls, and a plurality of separate blocks of resilient foamed material positioned within said enclosure to fully distend the cover, said blocks including a top block dimensioned so that it extends under the full surface of the top wall, a plurality of support blocks in spaced apart relation upon which said top block is supported, and a plurality of spacer blocks between said support blocks for maintaining said spaced apart relation, said blocks defining between them air spaces within said cover, each of said blocks being enclosed in a thin wrapping material having a relatively low coefficient of friction to facilitate recoil of the blocks so that after a load has been imposed they can readily recover their original positions. said thin wrapping material being polyethylene sheet material.

9. A landing pad for athletic events comprising a flexible cover defining when fully distended a flexible enclosure having top, bottom and side walls, and a plurality of separate blocks of resilient material positioned within said enclosure to distend the cover, each of said blocks being sealed within a thin impervious wrapping material having a relatively low coefficient of friction, said separate blocks including a top block having an upper surface conforming to the dimensions of said top wall, and a plurality of additional blocks positioned below said top block, at least some of which maintain said top block against said top wall. said additional blocks being arranged together with said top block so as to provide air spaces within said cover while simultaneously fully distending said cover. 

1. A landing pad for athletic events comprising a flexible cover defining when fully distended a moisture impervious enclosure having top, bottom and side walls, and a plurality of separate blocks of resilient foamed material positioned within said enclosure to fully distend the cover, said blocks including a top block dimensioned so that it extends under the full surface of the top wall, a plurality of support blocks positioned in parallel spaced apart relation on said bottom wall and upon which said top block is supported, and a plurality of spacer blocks positioned on said bottom wall between said support blocks for maintaining said spaced apart relation, each spacer block extending between a pair of adjacent parallel support blocks and having less elevation than the adjacent parallel support blocks so that said plurality of separate blocks define between them a plurality of parallel air spaces within said cover.
 2. The landing pad that is defined in claim 1, wherein said resilient foamed material is polyurethane material.
 3. The landing pad that is defined in claim 2, wherein the polyurethane top block has a relatively lighter density than the polyurethane support blocks.
 4. The landing pad that is defined in claim 1, wherein said cover is free from seams in its top and bottom walls and at the corners defined between either the top wall or the bottom wall and the side walls.
 5. The landing pad that is defined in claim 4, wherein said flexible cover is a nylon fabric coated with polyvinyl chloride material.
 6. The landing pad that is defined in claim 4, wherein one side wall has means for opening and closing said cover for inserting and removing said blocks.
 7. A landing pad for athletic events comprising a flexible cover defining when fully distended a moisture impervious enclosure having top, bottom and side walls, and a plurality of separate blocks of resilient foamed material positioned within said enclosure to fully distend the cover, said blocks including a top block dimensioned so that it extends under the full surface of the top wall, a plurality of support blocks positioned in spaced apart relation on said bottom wall and upon which said top block is supported, and a plurality of spacer blocks positioned on said bottom wall between said support blocks for maintaining said spaced apart relation, said blocks defining between them air spaces within said cover, each of said blocks being individually enclosed in a thin impervious wrapping material having a relatively low coefficient of friction to facilitate recoil of the blocks so that after a load has been imposed they can readily recover their original position.
 8. A landing pad for athletic events comprising a flexible cover defining when fully distended an enclosure having top, bottom and side walls, and a plurality of separate blocks of resilient foamed material positioned within said enclosure to fully distend the cover, said blocks Including a top block dimensioned so that it extends under the full surface of the top wall, a plurality of support blocks in spaced apart relation upon which said top block is supported, and a plurality of spacer blocks between said support blocks for maintaining said spaced apart relation, said blocks defining between them air spaces within said cover, each of said blocks being enclosed in a thin wrapping material having a relatively low coefficient of friction to facilitate recoil of the blocks so that after a load has been imposed they can readily recover their original positions, said thin wrapping material being polyethylene sheet material.
 9. A landing pad for athletic events comprising a flexible cover defining when fully distended a flexible enclosure having top, bottom and side walls, and a plurality of separate blocks of resilient material positioned within said enclosure to distend the cover, each of said blocks being sealed within a thin impervious wrapping material having a relatively low coefficient of friction, said separate blocks including a top block having an upper surface conforming to the dimensions of said top wall, and a plurality of additional blocks positioned below said top block, at least some of which maintain said top block against said top wall, said additional blocks being arranged together with said top block so as to provide air spaces within said cover while simultaneously fully distending said cover. 